The UEFA Champions League play-off round begins with first legs on 18 and 19 August, followed by the return legs on 25 and 26 August. UEFA has scheduled the league-phase draw for 27 August.
These ties are the final barrier between qualification and elimination. First-leg game management, away resilience and set pieces often become decisive because every mistake carries the weight of an entire European campaign.
PitchNaija will track verified kick-off times and results from UEFA’s competition pages. No outcome is assumed here: this is the official timetable and a guide to why the next eight days matter.